The year 2012 could become known as hybrid horribilis, the year in which diesel fans can finally say their day has dawned. At least that's what I'm hoping - that more buyers finally warm to the genuine benefits of diesel.

This is not to say hybrid cars are grossly inferior to diesel powered cars. Indeed, trying to argue the benefits of one technology over the other is about as straightforward as instilling democracy in Iraq.

But the 2012 Volkswagen Golf TDI Highline I just drove reveals there is a clear and compelling case for choosing diesel, and VW sales figures show the public - or at least a well-informed portion - have awakened to the fact today's diesel cars are not the least bit smelly, smoky, loud or hard to start once winter settles in.

VW's "take rate" on the Golf TDI five-door (there is no three door TDI in Canada as there is in the United States) is about 35%. For the wagon, however, it's about 65% of buyers who choose diesel over the gasoline model. (The take rate for the five-door would be even higher were it not introduced so much later.)

Still, it's not hard to see why the love for the bug maker is growing. First, there's the Golf TDI's miserly fuel consumption - easily the best highway figure I have ever attained and far more spectacular than a hybrid, the display bouncing from 3.5 to 5.0 litres per 100 kilometres while I was cruising at about 130 kilometres an hour. That's better than 60 miles per imperial gallon for those of us still metrically challenged. In the city, where I pretty much floored it every chance I got, my average economy was 8.3 L/100 km. Incredible!

There are very few times where power seems lacking with the TDI - and this from a compact car. The TDI's 236 pound-feet of torque is only slightly less than my old V6powered 2003 Infiniti G35 Coupe. Some highway passing takes consideration, yes, but the way the engine runs almost as smoothly as an in-line six makes for a car that is not just easy on the family budget but surprisingly satisfying at the same time.

While it's tempting to throw stones at hybrids for their complicated batteries, lack of highway economy, touchy brakes and price premium, the diesel TDI is not perfect either. Aside from its greater fossil fuel dependency compared with a hybrid (the greens' argument, not mine), there is some engine clatter when the pistons are cold. Also the price of diesel is currently about 15¢ a litre higher than regular gas, and diesel stations are more sporadically located. When you do find a diesel outlet, the diesel pump is usually the dirtiest at the station. The manly among us won't mind, but others might. Lastly, the low torque curve and low redline of a diesel engine means the TDI is better suited to an automatic transmission, which, in the case of the Golf TDI, is a $1,400 option - even though a six-speed manual is eminently more engaging in a compact car.

That said, the Golf's DSG transmission is pleasant. DSG is short for Direct Shift Gearbox, a type of fully automated manual transmission with a computer-controlled dual clutch. Not only does VW's DSG shift with the kind of alacrity familiar to Porsche's PDK automatic, it comes with a sport mode for more aggressive up-and down shifts. Even in manual mode, the DSG will shift for you should redline be exceeded.

There is some getting used to the feel of the DSG, which, at standstill, takes a second for the clutch to automatically engage once the brake is released. Once underway, though, and especially when mated to the TDI engine, the shifts are snappy, sure and perfectly timed. Had VW included a set of steering wheel paddle shifters (it doesn't offer them in Canada), I'd be one of the first to check off the DSG option box (let's keep that under our hats, though).

Likewise, the interior is wonderfully assembled with that hallmark German feel. There's a fine array of soft-touch materials and luxury car-like attention to detail. The instruments are simply laid out, with all controls easy to read and operate. The Golf's interior is easy to live with, never demanding that you do two things to accomplish one task. Everything is straightforward - except for the radio station presets - and it wouldn't seem odd for strangers to ask if they were seated in an Audi. Even the premium eight-speaker audio system, while not quite as sensational as Audi's Bang & Olufsen, offers pleasing sound. The back seat has more than enough room for two teenagers and the 15 cubic foot cargo hold will accept two hockey bags with a little bit of shoving.

Outside, the Golf carries an equally gracious composure, with a skin that's neither utterly flashy nor overly dull. LED tail lamps and HID/LED headlamps - even as an option package - would dress the car up even more, but they, too, are not offered on Canadian Golfs. Not that the standard appearance will grow stale anytime soon but, if I'm spending $30,000 on a compact car, I expect some jewellery such as HID lamps on the options list. TDI models can only be ordered in Comfort line or Highline trim. TDI Highline models do, however, get fog lamps and 10-spoke 17-inch wheels that add to the appearance.

Handling is far more sophisticated than I imagined, in part because the TDI comes with a firmer calibration over the standard gasoline models, as well as sport seats. The ride isn't too taut over the rough stuff, either, and may be as close to ideal as one can get for sporty driving combined with rough city roads. I wish I could say the same about the brakes, which gripped the rotors well enough and stopped the car with the right amount of haste, but it required much more pedal travel than seemed necessary.

But see what a small thing that is? I'm whingeing about pedal travel, in part because there's so little to quibble about but also because the Golf TDI comes across as such a well-executed car that anything not remotely perfect seems out of place. The TDI isn't perfect, but it does so many things right that I'd be happy to own one.

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